Green Star Rating Results:
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Overall Rating: ★★★★★ (5)

Energy Rating: ★★★★ (4)
Staff Comment - The Lodge is specially constructed so that it lies to the sun to achieve passive solar gain of warmth especially in winter.
• There is concrete mass to capture and store the warmth.
• There are large double glazed windows to retain heat.
• There is cross building ventilation removing the need for air conditioning so that in summer there is always a breeze flowing through the building.
• All our electricity comes from hydro electric generation from the nearby Lake Coleridge hydro scheme.
• Key tabs cut the power in all rooms
• We have used energy efficient lights throughout.

Water Rating: ★★★★ (4)
Staff Comment - Water is not in short supply here where we have an abundance of water from surrounding streams. However we have instituted a range of water conserving techniques as follows:
• Native gardens that do not require any watering have been used throughout the property and landscaping. Tussocks, beech trees, xeric shrubs all require a minimum of water.
• Unfortunately we have had to grow lawns around the immediate buildings because these are important as a fire break. They do require water and in large part this comes from run off from the building. Water dispensing is done with timer clocks.
• Showers were generally used in the building rather than water consuming baths.
• Waste water is used on our adjoining farm for grass irrigation.

Disposal Rating: ★★★★ (4)
Staff Comment -
• The Lodge operates on a principle of “reduce, reuse/refill and recycle” as a hierarchy rather than seeing recycling as the most important dimension because in the remote South Island of New Zealand recycling is difficult because the economies of scale make such things as the melting down of glass for reuse impossible and the economics of a lot of recycling have been severely unattractive in recent years.
• We therefore try wherever possible to use a minimum of materials and buy in bulk to avoid packaging. We produce most of our own meat on our 6,000 acre property (lamb, beef, pork), a lot of our own veggies and herbs.
• We use refillable containers eg Stainless steel beer kegs for beer that are re-filled at the brewery
• There is a problem with glass that is not recycled in the South island of NZ. Instead local councils crush it and use it for road fill. because of the economics of trucking waste glass to the cities for this, we “eco bank” glass on our own property for potential use in the future.
• All organics on our property are either fed to pigs or composted
• Staff are all trained in our disposal/wise use programme and Guests are encouraged to use the Guest recycle bins.

Eco-Active Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
Staff Comment - The Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass received the highest rating in our 2009 NZ Qualmark assessment for our environmental work.
• All Staff are inducted into the general philosophy of the Wilderness Lodge and our conservation and environment policy and action plan.
• This comprises a “holistic” approach that covers all the fields described above; energy use, water conservation, light pollution, noise pollution and sourcing and disposal of materials/commodities used at the Lodge.
• Our philosophy is also shared with our guests through Lodge guest manuals, practical programmes that involve guests and education activities.
• We strongly encourage our guests to return home to advance their eco interests and commitment.

Protection Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
Staff Comment -
• Protection of the conservation areas identified on our 2400 hectare Lodge property: Ecologist Mike Harding surveyed the property in 1994 when we took over ownership. Since then we have progressively protected all the special natural areas identified by Mike. Two major wetlands (Horrible Bog and Misery Swamp) were fenced in 1999. Most of the native forest areas around the Lodge have been fenced and stock excluded. The catchment of Broad Stream has been fenced and stock excluded to protect special riverbed plants, water quality, bluff vegetation, inside–out “Moa Shrubs” and beech forest. There is a major programme of mistletoe restoration and establishment and a programme of pest control to restore bird populations and restore rare plants. Wetlands
• Operation Ark programme of the Department of Conservation in the Waimakariri, Hawdon and Poulter valleys: The land around the Lodge’s 2,400hectare is all protected as either Arthur’s Pass National Park or Craigieburn Forest Park. We are actively promoting DOC pest control efforts in both these Parks undertaken under the Operation Ark programme. This has involved our advocacy and support when the operation was under pressure from other neighbours of the park. The programme aims to save mistletoe, kiwi, blue duck, orange fronted parakeet and yellowhead birds in the Waimakariri, Bealey, Hawdon and Poulter Valleys immediately across the Waimakariri River from the Wilderness Lodge.
• Protection of Moana Rua-Lake Pearson as a Wildlife Refuge: 10km east of the Lodge’s land is the 200hectare expanse of Moana Rua-Lake Pearson. This is a breeding stronghold for the Southern Crested Grebe, a magnificent diving waterbird. Around 15% of NZ’s total grebe population of 250 birds occur on this lake. Since 1997, we have been involved in getting jetskiis and powerboats banned on the lake and getting the lake fenced to exclude grazing animals and thereby safeguard the water quality of the lake.
• Tussockland Parks in the Waimakariri Basin: Lodge co-owner Gerry McSweeney has played a central role in advocating for NZ’s first Tussockland Park, 22,000ha Korowai-Torlesse 40 km south of the Wilderness Lodge established in 2001. In 2004, a major extension to the Park was negotiated through the Government’s Nature Heritage Fund on which Gerry has been a board member since 1990. This new protected area safeguards around 9,000 hectares (23,000 acres). Much of this is magnificent valley floor limestone areas, dry tussockland and mountain ranges that were formerly part of Castle Hill Station. Some of these will be added to the Korowai-Torlesse park, some to the Craigieburn Forest Park and some to existing reserves and conservation areas. Spittle Hill is another unprotected privately owned area of limestone and rare plants that adjoin the Kura Tawhiti (Castle Hill) Conservation Area that is worthy of permanent protection. The safeguarding of this area is under negotiation.

Contact Details

Name:
Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass
Address:
Highway 73 Arthur’s Pass New Zealand
midway between Christchurch and Greymouth in the heart of the Southern Alps.
Postal address only:
PO Box 51033
Arthur’s Pass
7654 New Zealand.
Telephone:
+64 3 318 9246
Website:
www.wildernesslodge.co.nz
E-mail:
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